This is Danckerts' version of De Wit's splendid maritime world map. The cartographic features include the island of California and open-ended Great Lakes on the Sanson model in North America. A remnant of Lake Parima is still shown in South America. In Africa, the Nile still rises from twin lakes and the interior is mostly guesswork. In Asia, Australia is represented only by the northern and western coastlines and Van Diemen's discoveries are shown in Tasmania and New Zealand. Above and below the map are polar projections, with only the tip of South America shown in the Antarctic sphere. Lively allegorical scenes representing the four elements surround the map. Fire is depicted by a fierce battle scene and the abduction of Persephone; air as the heavenly realm ruled by Zeus and Hera; water by Neptune with his entourage, sailing ships and a fantastic spouting whale; and earth by Demeter and two other earth goddesses in a peaceful scene of harvesting and husbandry. This is Danckerts' first of two similar maps, with geography identical to De Wit's original.

References: Shirley #495.

Condition: B

Full original color with light soiling and toning. Professionally backed with canvas to repair a long centerfold separation and a number of cracks caused by the oxidation of green pigment in the four vignettes and along Africa and Greenland. Several small chips have been repaired, with image replaced in facsimile.